The Marionette of Madness

6

Tim went about his day as normally as he could. There wasn't anything anyone could do about this, so why should he make a big deal? Sure, he could check himself into a mental hospital, but that would just be delaying the inevitable.

He took a walk through the park, hoping to calm his nerves, but he steered clear of the woods, he didn't need to be anywhere near them.

He had brought the camera with him. He hated to admit it, but having it with him made him feel calmer. Every once and a while, Tim pointed the camera at the trees nearby, checking make sure the thing wasn't there.

After a while, Tim sat on a bench, taking in the cool air. Aside from waking up not in his apartment, Tim was having a decent day. And his day was about to get better, or worse depending your view of the following.

There was a rustling in the trees across the path, and Tim instinctively put up the camera, watching, waiting. As he watched, a figure in a yellow hoodie exited the tree line.

"Brian?"

The figure looked in Tim's direction, and it was definitely his missing friend.
"Tim?"

Tim ran up and hugged Brian.
"Oh my gosh, I thought you were dead!"

Brian made a face.
"Dead?"

"I saw your dead body! Sorta, you seemed pretty dead, but then you were gone!"
Tim was holding Brian and close to tears.

"I'm fine dude, I'm fine. How long has it been?"

Tim looked up at him.
"Its been a year Brian. Where have you been?"

Brian furrowed his brow.
"What? No. I just woke up in the woods a few hours ago, it couldn't have been-"
He cut himself off and stared at something behind Tim.
"We need to go."

Tim turned around and saw it. That thing. Watching them.

A coughing fit came over Tim, and he wondered if he had remembered his pills. He kept a tight grip on the camera as he collapsed and felt Brian and someone else pulling him away hastily.

Everything felt muffled, and Tim worried he was going to have another seizure.

Even as they escaped, that thing still watched.